Return of Bird of the Week: Volcano Hummingbird
The Volcano Hummingbird is tiny, even for a hummingbird, just 7.5 centimeters (a little less than 3 inches) long. It also has a tiny habitat, ranging in the higher mountains of Costa Rica to western Panama. And within that habitat it prefers to scrubby vegetated areas. In that part of Central America, taller mountains tend to be volcanoes; hence, the species’ common name. The background in this first photo is in fact a volcanic cinder field. The species also has tiny territories, in some cases just 15 square meters, which the males defend aggressively. Unlike a lot of hummingbirds, the…
Bird of the Week – Volcano Hummingbird
From a 39 inch bird, the Resplendent Quetzal last week, here’s a 3 inch bird, one-thirteenth the length of the Qutzel. This is the Volcano Hummingbird. This little guy lives at elevations of 6,000 feet and higher, up to the summits of the mountains and volcanoes of Costa Rica and Western Panama. This hummingbird species is found nowhere else in the world. Technical stuff: f7.1, 1/500th, ISO 400. For more bird photos, visit Frozen Feather Images.